Colorful Midtown crosswalk a study in art and motion

1of4A pedestrian crosses at a new artistic crosswalk at the intersection of Elgin Street and Louisiana Street on Tuesday.Photo: Jon Shapley, Staff

2of4Pedestrians cross at a new artistic crosswalk. Such decorated crosswalks are becoming more common across the U.S.Photo: Jon Shapley, Staff

3of4A man crosses the intersection of 18th and Castro streets in San Francisco as construction work nears completion on Oct. 29, 2014. Among the improvements to the intersection were crosswalks painted in rainbow colors.Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle

4of4Rodney Fogle with Asphalt Impressions works on installing a new rainbow crosswalk on the intersection of 18th and Castro on Sept. 30, 2014, in San Francisco.Photo: Leah Millis, The Chronicle

There's street art, and then there's making art in the street. Now Houston's Midtown has both.

The first of what could be many colorful intersections in Midtown opened earlier this month at Elgin and Louisiana, part of an effort to spruce up crosswalks and provide additional safety clues for drivers to expect pedestrians and bicyclists.

"We thought a new crosswalk was needed here, but we could make it artistic," said William Franks, chairman of the Midtown Management District.

The district recently has focused on displaying public art, such as the giant mural along San Jacinto Street that's a graffiti-tinged riff on Michelangelo's "The Creation of Adam." Pieces like this one along with some smaller efforts - not to mention some unauthorized tagging - have given Midtown's street art more street cred.

The crosswalk project, considered a first try at an art-inspired crossing in Midtown, was a little more complex than district officials anticipated. All crosswalks have to adhere to specific widths and require city approval and professional contractors. University of Houston professor and artist Aaron Parazette created the colorful design, relying on lines that radiate from the center of the intersection. A nearby electrical box is styled the same way.

Designing, obtaining the necessary city approvals and repainting the crosswalk cost the Midtown district about $20,000, Franks said. Because officials have a better idea of the work involved and some of the research can be replicated, future redesigns could cost about half that sum, he said.

Like any street striping, the color and design will eventually fade and need to be updated, Franks said.

A pedestrian crosses at a new artistic crosswalk at the intersection of Elgin Street and Louisiana Street on May 12.

Photo: Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle

Giving crosswalks a unique look is not a common practice, but it is increasingly popular in many metro areas around the world. San Francisco has rainbow-colored crossings in its Castro district, while a Baltimore artist in 2013 - with city approval - repainted crossings outside a historic theater to look like zippers. Charlotte, N.C., has racing-inspired crosswalks to celebrate the local NASCAR heritage.

Working with the contractors - skilled in painting road markings - Parazette approved the exact colors by looking at photos the contractor sent to his smartphone.

The result is perhaps Houston's most colorful crosswalk, although some near the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, also have a touch of color. Parazette's design varies between swatches of orange, red, blue, black and white, all tailored to catch the eye.

It is, after all, a crosswalk, said Monte Large, chairman of the district's urban planning committee. Visibility is key.

"I think is has drawn a little more attention," Large said.

Midtown officials worked with the Houston Department of Public Works, which had to approve the design.

"It is easier for them to say 'No, we don't do that,' but they didn't," Franks said.

On a rainy Tuesday, most cars and trucks stayed back from the pattern, stopping in the appropriate place as pedestrians crossed. Keenan Grosz hurried from one side of Louisiana to the other as the "don't walk" signal counted down to zero.

Grosz said he liked the splash of color, and agreed it probably gave drivers a bit more of a warning than the typical white lines.

Monte Large, Chair of the Midtown Management District Urban Planning Committee, William Franks, Chair of the Midtown Management District, and Aaron Parazette, the artist, at the intersection of Elgin Street and Louisiana Street on May 12.

Photo: Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle

More than 25,000 vehicles travel across the intersection on Louisiana, with about 17,000 crossing along Elgin, according to 2014 traffic counts by Houston's Department of Public Works.